Brother Ordered to Pay Dh968,000 for Theft, Destruction at Sister’s Farm in Dubai

A Dubai civil court has ordered an Arab man to pay Dh968,000 in compensation after he was found guilty of stealing from and destroying property at a farm inherited by his sister.

The ruling follows a final criminal judgment that sentenced the man to one month in jail and imposed a fine equivalent to the value of the stolen items, after it was established that he had intentionally removed and damaged assets at the 42,000-square-metre property.

Court records showed that the man had earlier been in control of the farm before ownership was legally transferred to his sister through inheritance. Despite this, he later carried out acts of theft and destruction, including taking nine aluminium doors, 26 air-conditioning units and 20 palm trees, with the stolen items valued at around Dh178,000.

He was also found to have caused extensive damage to the farm’s irrigation systems and destroyed an additional 140 palm trees, resulting in losses estimated at Dh770,000.

The sister reported the matter to authorities, triggering a police probe and subsequent referral to the Dubai Public Prosecution. The criminal case ended in conviction, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal and later confirmed by the Court of Cassation, firmly establishing the man’s liability.

In its civil judgment, the court held that the final criminal ruling constituted binding proof of both the offence and the defendant’s responsibility, and could not be re-examined in civil proceedings. It noted that all elements of civil liability — fault, damage and causation — were clearly satisfied.

The court awarded Dh948,000 in material damages to cover the value of the stolen and destroyed assets, along with Dh20,000 in moral damages for the emotional suffering endured by the sister. It observed that she experienced significant distress due to the violation of her property, particularly as the farm had previously been entrusted to the defendant by their father.

In addition, the court directed that 5 per cent legal interest be applied to the total compensation from the date the ruling becomes final until full settlement, along with legal costs and expenses.

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